


Deterioration

by sunaddicted



Series: Tumblr Prompts 2019 [24]
Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Drabble, M/M, Mind Games, No Man's Land, Not Canon Compliant, Self-Doubt, Touch-Starved, Touching, Tumblr Prompt, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-20
Updated: 2019-10-20
Packaged: 2020-12-24 23:20:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21107648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunaddicted/pseuds/sunaddicted
Summary: Captain of a disbanded and corrupted army.Gotham's most hated son.Oswald's counterbalance - his soulmate.





	Deterioration

**Author's Note:**

> @butterflyandresistance asked for gobblepot + "I'll walk you home"
> 
> Zero regard for canon - fuck season 5 and, above all, fuck fox (the channel, not Lucius - Lucius is precious)

_Deterioration_

"You still can't stop admiring it, can you?"

Jim shivered, muscles tensing at the feeling of Oswald's words caressing the nape of his neck; the sharp jut of his chin a pressure point against his scapula; the edge of his knee brace digging in his leg; the angles of his shorter body melting against his own "Tell me you don't stand in front of this exact window and do the same" his breath fogged the glass, restricting their world to the rain endlessly splattering against the window.

"Of course" Oswald's fingers curled around one of Jim's hips with bruising force to keep himself balanced as the tiredness of the day dawned on him, leaving him feeling unsteady and weary "Gotham is our home" no matter how broken. How mangled. How mutilated.

"Your kingdom" part of Jim rankled at having to admit that - the other was alight with pleasure at the strong grip Oswald had on him. He was far from helplessly pinned - he could turn around, push the other man back and onto the floor, hands grabbing his wrists to ensure he couldn't pull a gun on him or bury a knife in his gut - but Jim had no intentions of doing any of those things.

He was paralysed by the sight of Gotham sprawled in front of him - fallen and crumbling, ruined but still thriving.

Refusing to keel over and _die_.

He was paralysed by the weight of the King of Gotham standing proud behind him - crippled and exhausted, shattered but still fighting.

Refusing to roll over and _give up_.

There was a delirious sense of power in that stalemate and maybe Harvey was right - maybe he had been working himself to the bone; maybe he needed more rest; maybe he was going insane.

Deteriorating like the city they were struggling to survive in.

"It's getting late"

Gotham had never been safe after dark - it had never been safe even in broad daylight. Somehow, it had become even more dangerous "I should go"

"Do you want to?"

Did he want to go back to Haven and sort out whatever problem had cropped up in his absence? Did he want to go back to his lovely cot in what had once been the GCPD? Did he want to leave the owner of the hand creeping towards his stomach, drawing him closer to Penguin's body?

"No"

Oswald's face broke into a smile and he pressed his palm harder against the other's belly, a finger playfully circling the closest button of his shirt "But you have to" it was sadistic, asking Jim to admit his true desires only to dash them into irreparable fragments - it was crueller than anything Oswald had ever done to the other man.

Crueller than he could have ever even imagined being to him "You have a duty to the citizens"

"I know"

He leaned up on his tiptoes despite the staggering waves of pain that immediately irradiated from his ankle and knee; every throb was a muted plea of his body to stop and stand down - Oswald was very good at ignoring them. He breathed in the other's scent, more natural than it had ever been: finding soap in Gotham wasn't exactly easy - nor was it anyone's priority; not when other things like food and medicines were more pressing needs "I'll walk you home"

"I don't need you to"

"If there is anyone in this city who needs protection is you, Jim Gordon"

Captain of a disbanded and corrupted army.

Gotham's most hated son.

Oswald's counterbalance - his _soulmate_.

The barely there touch of the other's lips was a brand seared into Jim's skin, a permanent blemish that would torment him in the solitude of night.

**Author's Note:**

> Blame the weird atmosphere on the Batman v. Superman's soundtrack.


End file.
